A year and a half ago, as film and television production continued its exodus from Hollywood and many of the aging offices and storefronts along Hollywood Boulevard sat fractured or condemned by the Northridge quake or by MTA construction, John Peterson dreamed up an idea. "I'd clean up Hollywood's stars," he decided. He was homeless and unemployed, having lost his job as a television repairman. He walked on crutches, having lost a leg to amputation.

On a recent postcard-perfect day, James Foutch is selling tours of movie stars' homes from a prime location on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame, just as he has for more than a decade. But his customary spot on the gray terrazzo sidewalk, studded with pink stars, is about to change. In a crackdown aimed at managing the mobs of people visiting the wildly popular venue, Foutch and other sightseeing bus operators are being forced to the sidelines. Starting on Sunday, sales of bus tours from the Walk of Fame will no longer be permitted.

He's the one guy in Hollywood you can believe if he says, "Baby, I'm gonna make you a star!" That's because Bill Paternostro has produced nearly 400 of them since taking his first stroll down Hollywood Boulevard in the early 1970s. Paternostro, 64, is the terrazzo artisan who makes the three-foot-wide sidewalk stars for the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In a town where a star's staying power can be measured in months, his are unique.

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds was awarded the 2,508 th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday. Edmonds, who has crafted more than 100 top 10 R&B and pop singles during his career and was called the Quincy Jones of the '90s, accepted the honor with Antonio “L.A.” Reid, Usher and Sean “Diddy” Combs at his side. A 10-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter-producer, Edmonds wrote some of the 1990s' most successful R&B jams and worked with the decade's top tier artists -- and found his own successful career as a solo artist thanks to his smooth, seductive brand of R&B. PHOTOS: Hollywood Backlot moments Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Boyz II Men, Pink, TLC, Madonna, Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion and Toni Braxton are just a few of the stars whose music has been infused with his classic blend of pop melody and soulful R&B grit.

Standing on a makeshift podium along Hollywood Boulevard, his voice low and soothing and mellifluous, television icon Fred Rogers led 200 well-wishers through a song that has become a standard for generations of American children: "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. . . ."

The Oasis Christian Center hoped to draw attention to its beliefs by placing the name of Jesus Christ on a Wilshire Boulevard sidewalk star--the start of a new Walk of Faith a la the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, the church instead wound up drawing some unwanted attention Wednesday over possible trademark infringement. The star, installed July 17 outside the center, is similar to the pink terrazzo stars on Hollywood sidewalks.

Tourists in Hollywood come out in the daytime to look at the stars. Now, the sidewalk galaxy known as the Hollywood Walk of Fame is growing. Another 148 stars will be added on Hollywood Boulevard between Sycamore and La Brea avenues. Rather than 148 blank stars, however, the Walk of Fame Committee has decided to induct 30 new names.

Famed Latino rocker Ritchie Valens, whose death in a 1959 plane crash with Buddy Holly is still considered one of the greatest single tragedies in popular music history, will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today. A ceremony unveiling the star is set for 12:30 p.m. at 6733 Hollywood Blvd., according to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

This post has been updated. See note below for details. John Lennon's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was defaced with graffiti and other markings over the weekend, just days before what would have been his 73rd birthday on Wednesday. Vandals scrawled messages, drew a smiley face and added other scribbling over the star on Vine Street near the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood. The Beatles' group star and the individual stars for the other members of the group were not damaged.

Two men were stabbed early Monday on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, authorities say. The men were standing on the sidewalk near a pizza parlor on the south side of Hollywood Boulevard near Highland Avenue when the violence unfolded at about 1 a.m., KTLA reported , citing Los Angeles police. Both victims were stabbed in the neck and were treated by firefighters at the scene before being hospitalized in critical condition. No arrests have been made. A bit earlier and just a few blocks away, there was a double shooting outside of Hollywood nightclub.

Jennifer Lopez has been acting, singing and dancing since her first minor role in a film called "My Little Girl" way back in 1986. On Thursday, her mastery in all those areas was immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Lopez dressed up for the occasion in a Christian Dior off-white cashmere and silk knitted top with a coral satin skirt. Her boyfriend, Casper Smart, was on hand, along with her two children by ex-husband Marc Anthony and various other family members.

June 20, 2013 | This post has been corrected. See the note below for details.

Three men are awaiting charges in connection with the stabbing death of a woman along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The three men, described by police as transients between 27 and 34 years old, were arrested arraigned in connection with the death of 23-year-old Christine Darlene Calderon after police said the men attacked her Tuesday night at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. Join us at 9 a.m. when we talk with Times reporter Marisa Gerber about Tuesday night's attack and what happens next for the alleged attackers.

June 20, 2013 | By Andrew Blankstein and Marisa Gerber, This post has been corrected. See the note below for details.

Three men are expected to be charged Friday in connection with the stabbing death of a woman next to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The three men, whom police describe as transients between 27 and 34 years old, were arrested in connection with the death of 23-year-old Christine Darlene Calderon after police said the men attacked her Tuesday night at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. Charges are expected to be filed Friday with arraignment likely the same day, authorities said.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Friday that 22 individuals or groups have been selected to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991-92. In the movie category, stars will be awarded to Frankie Avalon, Louis Gossett Jr., Tom Hanks, George Kennedy and Dean Stockwell. Posthumous honors will go to Bruce Lee and Dr. Clarence Muse. Television personalities receiving stars include Mary Tyler Moore, Debbie Allen, Peter Falk, Jester Hairston, Nichelle Nichols and Edward James Olmos.